Morton



(No Model.)

' M. G. BUNNELL.

WATER ELEVATOR.

No. 587,788. Patented Aug. 10,1897.

y WW- n A, I, A.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFErcE.

MORTON G. BUNNEIJL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK C.

AUSTIN, or

SAME PLACE.

WATER-ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of 'Letters Patent No. 587,788, dated August 10, 1897.

Original application filed June 30, 1895, Serial No. 536,685. 560,081.

To aid whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORTON G. BUNNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in "Water-Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to Water-elevators; and it has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of such elevators, and especially with the view to provide an efficient and economical elevator in which the buckets are arranged so that they will be normally retained in an upright position and so that when they strike the water they will be automatically tilted or turned on their axes, so that they will present their mouths to the water in the direction of its flow and will become filled and will emerge from the water right side up, thus'while they are being filled acting somewhat as a current-motor, and, further, when they reach the top they are automatically dumped to deliver their contents and again swung into upright position; and to these ends my invention consists in the various features of construction and arrange ment of parts, substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l'is a plan view of one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the upper portion of the elevator, showing the dumping arrangements.

While my elevator may be adapted and arranged for use in various connections and for various purposes, it is designed more particularly for use in connection with a currentmotor substantially such as is shown in my application, Serial No. 536,685, filed June 30, 1895, of which application this present application is a division. In this application is shown a currentmotor in which the'force of the current is utilized to operate the waterelevator, and while such a structure is the preferred means for operating my elevator it may of course beoperated by other means without departing from the spirit of my invention, and the details of construction and arrangement of the parts will of course be Divided and this application filed August 22, 1895. $erial No. (No model.)

varied to adapt them to the particular purpose to which the invention is applied.

Referring to the drawings, D represents a suitable framework for supporting the waterelevator, and in this instance it is shown as mounted on a pontoon or other structure resting in the body of a flowing stream, A representing a framework or plates of the pontoon, which may be provided with means for supporting the current-motor when used in connection with the elevator. Mounted on the framework are the crown-beams D upon which is mounted a shaft D, being journaled in bearings on said beams. This shaft is provided with sprocket-wheels d or other equivalent devices, which are shown as arranged adjacent the crown-beams, so as to provide a free passage between't-hem for buckets of the largest practical size. Also mounted on the shaft D and preferably upon an extension thereof are the sprocket wheel or wheels 01' or other means by which motion maybe transmitted to the shaft, and in the present instance I have shown a sprocket-chain d connected to said sprocket wheels d and to sprocket-wheel B of a current-motor mounted on the same frame. V Extending around the sprocket-wheels d are the chains E, which at their lower ends run over idle pulleys or wheels e, mounted on the framework of the float insuch a manner that they just dip into the water 'fiowing beneath the frame.

Connected to the sprocket-chains E are buckets E, and these may be of various shapes and construction, but are shown as extending between the sprocket-chains, filling the space and having curved closed bottoms. These buckets are connected to the chains in any suitable manner, being shown as pivoted thereto by journals 6, which journals are a slight distance above the center of gravity of the buckets, so that they will retain an upright position when ascending or descending, but may be readily tripped when their bottoms strike the water and be automatically filled. Thus it will be seen that as the bottom of each bucket strikes the flowing water it willbe carried downstream, so that the bucket will swing on its pivot, presenting its mouth Some means must be provided for discharging the contents of the buckets, and I have shown this means as arranged on the down side of the sprocket-chains, as that I find to be the preferable arrangement, and in order to carry out this arrangement I provide each bucket with studs or projections e extendj ing from the ends of the buckets and arranged at a point below the pivots and in rear thereof, and these studs are preferably provided with idle-rollers 6 Connected to the crown beam or beams are the cams E which are so shaped and arranged that as the buckets are carried over toward the discharge side the studs on the buckets impinge upon the cams, tilting the buckets to a practically horizontal position to discharge the contents thereof, the rollers preventing undue friction, and as soon as they pass the cams the bucket-s assume their normal position and pass downward ready to be immersed in the manner above described.

It will be observed that the edges of the cams E upon which the studs on the buckets impinge, arecurved or rounded, so that the tilting of the buckets is efiected in a gradual manner and without jerks, and the operation of the elevating devices is not rendered unsteady, as is the case with many former devices for this purpose.

The height and relative arrangement of the cams E are such with respect to the studs or projections on the ends of the buckets that as soon as said studs begin to impinge upon the curved or rounded edges of the cams the buckets are caused to move or turn on their pivotal supports, and the weight of the buckets, together with their contents, is partially received by the said cams, and, furthermore, the length of surface over which the studs or projections travel is so proportioned that the buckets are not permitted to be carried beyond a horizontal position, so that as soon as the contents are emptied the said buckets assume their vertical positions of their own gravity, which is unaccompanied by jerking or jars. v

In order to conduct the contents of the buckets to any desired position, I have shown a trough 13, connected to the crown-beams and extending laterally therefrom to the point of delivery, although of course the direction 01560 I this trough'will depend upon the exigencies of any particular case. It will thus be seen that I provide an exceed, ingly simple water-elevator in which all the parts are arranged to operate together harmoniously, the buckets being tilted and readily filled by the water, and they'are readily discharged of their contents and quickly as sume their normal positions in connection" with the chains. v

It will be readily understood that while I have described sprocket-chains and other specific features of construction these can be varied by substituting equivalents therefor, ropes or cables for the chains and other details of construction for the other parts.

The upper extremities of the cams E terminate at a point slightly within the plane of movement of the descending portions of the elevating-chains E, or, in other words, the extreme ends or terminating points of said cams are practically intersected by a vertical line passing centrally between the journals 6 and studs 6 of the buckets when the latter occupy truly vertical positions on the descending side. This nicety of arrangement obviates any tendency of the buckets to pull the chains away from their sprocket-wheels and also preserves the easy working and tilting action of the buckets.

WVhat. I claim is k In a water-elevator, the combination of the lifting-chains, self-righting buckets pivoted thereto above their centers of gravity so as to be held in upright position as they ascend and descend, studs projecting from the ends of the buckets below and within the pivotal points of the buckets, and the curved or rounded cams mounted at the head of the elevator with their upper ends terminating at no points practically intersected by vertical lines passing centrally between the studs and the pivotal points of the buckets when the latter are in a vertical position on the descending side, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

MORTON G. 'BUNNELL. \Vitnesses:

F. 0. DAY, HENRY BAHE. 

